Turntable devices



Dec. 18, 1956 G. sTRocco TURNTABLE DEVICES Filed Oct. '7, 1953 INVENTOR GENE STROCCO E@ HIS ATTORNEY.

.and the box, so as to enable the required rotafltio'riall l 'ment to be as readily eifectuated as byitheuslo, of .the

United States Pateit 2,774,598 TURNTABLE .Dnvicns Gene Strocco, Whitestone, N. Y. Application october 7, 195s, serial Nassasso s Claims, (ci. 27s-'156) This invention relates to portable turntable devices', and particularly, although not exclusively, to games hav'- a- 2,774,598 Ice Patented Dec. 1S, 1956 tion' vmounting and Vsecuring means are provided in av readily 4accessible and visible position, so that theoperation of assembling the board and box may easily be effectuat'ed v `It' yis within my contemplation to employ conventional foldable'gar'n'e boards in conjunction withmy invention,

' thereby not only to facilitate the storing of the board,-

ing a container or box member for housing the playing elements and a board which is required to be rotatably shifted into various playing positions to correspond with the respective positions of the players.`

In certain games devices employing a board and pieces which are manipulated or placed on the board by the players in accordance with the particular Arules of the game, the board must be rotated from player to' player. In conventional games the board is manually slid along -the table and turned tothe required position,gwith the but also: to render the mounting'i'neans accessible and visible fork the purposes aforesaid. And in one form of my invention I employ aV rotarymounting slightly-offcentr with respect to the medial fold line of the board, thereby facilitating the operative separation of the board from the box.

: It is fiir'ther within my contemplation to enable the trntable construction of my invention to be employed Yfo'i" purposes other than the games hereinabove men'- V* tioned, to wit, for use as a lapbo'ard for sewing, where consequent danger that the playing pieces on the board will be inadvertently displaced from their proper'positions due to the diiculty of controlling they said shiftingrnjovement. Furthermore, during such slidingmov'ementalong the table supporting the board, it Ais necessaryginsuch conventional devices, to remove the box andY theother y components of the Vgame out of the path of the-board. This not only makes necessary a rather extensive playing area, but also requires that they players're'ach to remote parts of the table to gain access to the removed game components. Y .l

. It is within the contemplation of my invention to proff vide a portable turntable device adapted for various uses, including that 'of a conveniently voperable turnable game board. And in this aspect of my invention itis an important object, when applied to a game of the aforesaid category, to combine the board with the box for housing the game elements in such a way as to enable the box to serve as a base for rotatably supportingithe board at a level at which it will clear thegame elements disposed on the table. that both the box and board becomeA componentsv of the game, requiring no special space for accommodatingthe boxthe box being proportioned to accommodate Wthe highest of the playingelemen'ts and to maintain the play ingr board at its aforesaid high level.

vThe arrangement is'phenQCrSliSh ,u

`It is also an object of my invention to providegmjear-is i for maintaining the board in slidable or f rictional contact with the box duringthe operative rotationofgthe board, so as to create av sufcient drag to provide acontrolled turning of the board, with the dangerpof displace- Y.

ment of the playing pieces reduced' topi-a minimum.

` It is further within my contemplation to` proviclle` oard treinely simple coacting mounting. means .onftl'iewb more intricate conventional turntable construclti v in this aspect of my invention itis an object tl p'o rotary mounting means with a minimumjo'f, protrusion beyond the respective surfaces of tl'ie'yb'ox, d board, so

as not to interfere' either with the playing Vof the game or the handling of the board and box.

Y Another object of my invention is to provide,

game device of the category abovemention'edf, rotary mounting means which also 4serve as attachingrnea-ns beytween the board and box. The arrangement of my novel the board may be turned into various positions for the coi'ivenier'ice of the sewer,.and as a disposable Lazy Suzan type of turntable, where units made of paper or similar material incorporating my invention ymay be fabricated at a low cost. ,..Other objects, features and advantages will appear fromv the drawings and the description hereinafter given. a, Referring; to the drawings:

Figure 1 is ya perspective view of an embodiment o'f my invention in the formof a game comprising a box and other components, the box beingshown in its closed position, fragments being broken away for clarity.

vFigurev'Z is a section of .Figure l'taken substantially alongline 2-2.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the playing board .component of the inventiomthe board being shown in a partly folded condition.

Figure ois la perspective view, substantially like that of Figure 3., of a modiiiedform of playing board.

lFigure `is a (plan, view, substantiallylike that -of Figure 5, showing the yplaying board of Figure 6 mounted on the box component of the game'. l Figure 8 `is a perspectivel view of Figure 7 with one section of the game board raised above .the supporting surface of the box.

In the form of my invention illustrated in Figures 1 rtow,5p,vthe game components are the box 10 comprising a .bottomportion '11 and cover portion 12, a foldable game .boardw13, playing pieces 14 and racks 15 for'supporting said playing. pieces. y o v The height of the box 1l with theV cover inl place is s'uic'ient to accommodate `therein the folded garneboard laiid at least one tier of racks l15 when disposed in ltlieirupright or'. playing position. More specically, as

will be seen from Figure 2, the height of the box from base 16 tothe top 1'7 of the cover 12 is greater than (although it may be equal to) the combined thickness of the two sections 18 and 19 of ther'folded playing board 13 and the vertical wall Ztl of a rack 15, said rack being shown with the bottom 2l thereof resting iipon'the base I6, the, playing pieces 14 being preferably positioned below s'aid game board 13.

the assembly of..

It will be lfurther noted that the top 17 of cover 12 contains, at the center thereof, a socket 22 with a cavity 23 formed by a segmented annular wall 24, substantially of the construction of the female element of a snap fastener combination. Adjacent the medially disposed fold line 25 of the board is the outwardly extending round-headed lug 26 proportioned to be rotatably accommodated within the said cavity 23 of member 22, said lug 26 being adapted frictionally to engage the annular segmented wall 24 when said lug 26 is being operatively inserted within saidcavity 23. The lug 26 is constructed substantially like the male element in a snap fastener, so that it will coact with the female element 22'to effect a ready attachment of the board 13 to the said top 17 of cover 12, as well as a ready detachment of said two components of my invention. It is thus apparent that the said cover of box and the playing board 13 are provided with convenient inexpensive rotary mounting means which permit both a ready assembly and disassembly of the board and box, as well as a rotation of the board relative to the box.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the operative position of the board upon the box, the components being shown in their playing position. The racks are disposed adjacent the box 10 and below the outer or marginal portions of the board; and since said racks are necessarily lower than the height of the box in its closed position, the board 13 will always clear said rack during a rotation of the board in accordance with the requirements of the game.

Hence there is no need to place the racks in incon venient remote positions as is required in conventional games; and there is no danger of having the board during its rotation inadvertently strike the rack and disrupt the pieces thereupon. The use of the turntable construction above-described is obviously more convenient than that of the conventional method of placing the board directly on the table and shifting it from place to place, with the consequent need to keep shifting the said racks 15'; and the use of the snap -fastener rotary and mounting means is obviously considerably less expensive than the comparatively complex conventional turntable construction. And it is further -to be noted that the box 10 itself serves as a component part of the game, since it not only rotatably supports the playing board 13, but also maintains it at a sufficiently high level above the rack components as to prevent interference with the latter.

Since the sections 13 and 19 of the board are rotatably supported only at a relatively small central portion lof the box, said sections will rest upon the upper surface of top 17 thereof. The arrangement is hence such that a frictional drag is created upon the operative rotation of board 13, enabling the turning of the board to be controlled, with the danger of a displacement of playing pieces on the board reduced to a minimum.

Since the rotary mounting means 24, 26 are placed adjacent the said fold line 25 of board 13, it is a Very simple and convenient step operatively to attach the board 13 to the supporting wall 17, or detach it therefrom. If the section 18 is folded back to the position illustrated by the dot-dash lines in Figure 4, the snap fastener lug 26, being positioned close to said fold edge 2S, can readily be seen, so that it may be inserted in place without any of the guess-work or probing as would be required if said snap fastener were not visibly exposed as illustrated. In the event it is desired to detach the playing board from the box, all that need be done is to swing the section 1S of the board to a vertical position, l Y

In the form of my invention illustrated in Figures 6 to 8, the same box component 10 and playing members are employed, except that a somewhat differently constructed playing board 27 is used. This board contains sections 28 and 29 abutting at medial fold line 30. Section 29, however, has integral therewith, and in the plane thereof, the extension 31, said extension carrying the male snap fastener element 32 thereon. The position of said element 32 is in alignment with Vfold line 30, as clearly illustrated in Figure 7. The parts can be assembled and disassembled in the manner of the form rst above-described, and the board 27 can be rotatably manipulated in similar manner. However, whereas in the first -form of my invention the snap fastener rotary mounting means are disposed offset with respect to the medial fold line of the playing board, the corresponding rotary mounting means of the modification are disposed precisely on the fold line, so that there is no eccentric rotation of the board.

In the above description, the invention has been disclosed merely by way of example and in preferred manner; but obviously many variations and modifications may be made therein. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any specic form or manner of practicing same, except insofar as such limitations are specified in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a game device, a box member, and a foldable game board comprising two sections meeting at a medial fold line, one of said sections having a central extension extending beyond said fold line, the other of said sections having a central recess proportioned and positioned to receive said extension when said two sections are operatively in one plane; said box member being of a width suicient to accommodate therein said game board when folded; said box having a cover with a horizontal wall thereon the upper surface of which is adapted to underlie and be in frictional supporting engagement with both sections of said game board when the latter is operatively placed over said wall; and rotary mounting means on said board and wall, said means comprising coacting male and female snap fastener elements proportioned for rela tive rotary movement when said elements are in operative engagement, said female snap fastener element being lattached to substantially the central portion of the wall of said cover with the cavity portion of the element Vdisposed below the upper surface of said wall, whereby said wall is relatively flat and free from protrusions, said male element being attached to the game board on said extension thereof, whereby the board is rotatable about said Ycover and the said cover sections are in frictional Vrotatable engagement with the wall of said cover.

` 2. In a game device, a box member and a game board; said box member being of a width sutcient to receive therein said game board; said box having a horizontal wall thereon extending across the entire extent of the box, the upper surface of said wall being adapted to underlie and be in supporting engagement with said game board, the latter being an independently movable member operatively movable into and out of said box and adapted for positioning upon said horizontal Wall; and rotary mounting means on said board and wall, said means comprising two coacting male and female snap fastener elements proportioned for relative rotary movement when said elements are in operative engagement, one of said elements being only on said horizontal wall and the other only on said board, whereby the board is yrotatably supported by said wall.

3. In a game, the combination according to claim 2, said box having a cover removably disposed thereover, said horizontal wall being an integral part of said cover, said female snap fastener element being attached to the wall of said cover with the cavity portion thereof disposed below the upper surface of said wall, whereby said wall Ais relatively flat and free from protrusions, said male element being attached to said game board, whereby when said snap fastener elements are in operative engagement the board is rotatably supported by said wall.

4. In a game device, a box member, and a foldable game board comprising two sections meeting at a medial fold line; said box member being of a width suicient to receive therein said game board when folded; said box having a cover with a horizontal wall thereon extending across the entire extent of the box, the upper surface of said horizontal wall being adapted to underlie and be in supporting engagement with said game board, the latter being an independently movable member operatively movable into and out of said box and adaptedfor positioning Iupon said horizontal wall; and rotary mountim,r means on said board and said Wall, said means cornprising two coacting male and female snap fastener elements proportioned for relative rotary movement when said elements are in operative engagement, one of said elements being at substantially the central portion of the wall of said cover, the other of said elements being on said board adjacent said fold line, whereby the board is rotatable about said cover and the said cover sections are in frictional rotatable engagement with the wall of said cover.

5. In a game, the combination according to claim 4, said female snap fastener element being attached to substantially the central portion of the wall of said cover with the cavity portion of the element disposed below the upper surface of said wall, whereby said wall is relatively flat and free from protrusions, said male element being attached to the game board adjacent said fold line.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 662,948 Lawrence Dec. 4, 1900 728,807 Babbitt Mar. 31, 1903 1,980,637 Savory Nov. 13, 1934 2,006,176 Quine June 25, 1935 2,131,347 Fenton ..Y Sept. 27, 1938 2,202,036 Warren May 28, 1940 2,271,899 Miller Feb. 3, 1942 2,274,303 Ornstein Feb. 24, 1942 2,404,176 Huelster July 16, 1946 2,649,803 Andre Aug. 25, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 3,022 Great Britain 1894 

